my new bike/chari and I hit the pavement in Tokyo

Florence v2.0

August 24, 2011

I was in London this summer for a workshop, and other than Cadbury’s the only thing I was desperate to pick up was a Brooks saddle for Florence.

At 60 pounds at Bike Fix I think it was a steal. I had read on the Brooks website before I left in the customer comments that quite often bike shops sell them cheaper than Brooks itself does. And was it true. This same saddle, a B17S retails for 130 before tax in Toronto.

So far, I haven’t really had too much trouble with the breaking in process. The first day it seemed a bit hard and too far forward, but after we flipped the seat post clip to give me another inch or so in length, it has been quite lovely.

I do think that Florence might be a tad small for me though. Since I bought her earlier this summer, we have added a longer seat post, pushed the saddle as far back as possible, and I just can’t quite seem to get full extension or sit as far back as I would like. I’m considering getting a seat post with a switchback in it, that pushes the seat even further away from the handle bars, but I need to look into it a bit more.

I hope I can get the geometry to work out though because otherwise Florence is a lovely ride. I find her gears tend to “pop” out at the MOST inopportune times, generally in dicey traffic, but if I can solve this, then she is pretty much exactly what I need in a bike. That plus another two inches of extension somehow. Really, I need to figure it out, because I really don’t think I can go looking for a seventh bike. I suppose I could and then sell Florence. But I haven’t fully digested that possibility yet.

I’m smitten.

Last year I decided to ditch the train in Tokyo and go by bike. I bought a Bridgestone 3 speed and off I went. What I didn't realize was that I would become completely smitten by both riding, and bikes themselves. Now I'm back in Toronto (for the time being, and I still keep that Bridgestone in Tokyo for when I am there) and still riding, and somehow acquiring bicycles.
I'm now up to six: the original Bridgestone (Mabel), a Danish Viva Bellisimo (Maru), a 1966 CCM single speed cruiser (Grover), a fold up I've had for several years (Paris), and a Fleetwing Deluxe Mixte 10-speed (Florence), and now a 3 speed Raleigh Sports I rescued from being dumped (Riley)
To me, these are my adventures...

Maru, a Vivo Bellissimo

Grover

My Paris (almost)

This is almost a photo of my fold up bike. She is a bright shiny girl for 9 years old, and works hard.

Mabel, my Beaute

This is my stable work ride, my Bridgestone 2010 Beaute. No, really, that's the model name, I didn't name my bike that. She's a strong work horse, but a heavy girl, and currently stuck in Tokyo for a bit